Sūra XXIII. Mū-minūn

The Holy Quran, tr. by Yusuf Ali, [1934], at sacred-texts.com

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Sūra XXIII.

Mu-minūn, or The Believers.

In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.

1. The Believers must
(Eventually) win through,—

2. Those who humble themselves
In their prayers;

3. Who avoid vain talk;

4. Who are active in deeds
Of charity;

5. Who abstain from sex,

6. Except with those joined
To them in the marriage bond,
Or (the captives) whom
Their right hands possess,—
For (in their case) they are
Free from blame,

7. But those whose desires exceed
Those limits are transgressors;—

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8. Those who faithfully observe
Their trusts and their covenants;

9. And who (strictly) guard
Their prayers;—

10. These will be the heirs,

11. Who will inherit Paradise:
They will dwell therein
(For ever).

12. Man We did create
From a quintessence (of clay);

13. Then We placed him
As (a drop of) sperm

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In a place of rest,
Firmly fixed;

14. Then We made the sperm
Into a clot of congealed blood;
Then of that clot We made
A (fœtus) lump; then We
Made out of that lump
Bones and clothed the bones
With flesh; then We developed
Out of it another creature.
So blessed be God,
The Best to create!

15. After that, at length
Ye will die.

16. Again, on the Day
Of Judgment, will ye be
Raised up.

17. And We have made, above you,
Seven tracts; and We
Are never unmindful
Of (Our) Creation,

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18. And We send down water
From the sky according to
(Due) measure, and We cause it
To soak in the soil;
And We certainly are able
To drain it off (with ease).

19. With it We grow for you
Gardens of date-palms
And vines: in them have ye
Abundant fruits: and of them
Ye eat (and have enjoyment),—

20. Also a tree springing
Out of Mount Sinai,
Which produces oil,
And relish for those
Who use it for food.

21. And in cattle (too) ye
Have an instructive example:
From within their bodies
We produce (milk) for you

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To drink; there art, in them,
(Besides), numerous (other)
Benefits for you;
And of their (meat) ye eat;

22. And on them, as well as
In ships, ye ride.

SECTION 2.

23. (Further, We sent a long line
Of prophets for your instruction).
We sent Noah to his people:
He said, "O my people!
Worship God! Ye have
No other god but Him.
Will ye not fear (Him)?"

24. The chiefs of the Unbelievers
Among his people said:
"He is no more than a man
Like yourselves: his wish is
To assert his superiority
Over you: if God had wished
(To send messengers),
He could have sent down
Angels: never did we hear
Such a thing (as he says),
Among our ancestors of old."

25. (And some said): "He is
Only a man possessed:
Wait (and have patience)
With him for a time."

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26. (Noah) said: "O my Lord!
Help me: for that they
Accuse me of falsehood!"

27. So We inspired him
(With this message): "Construct
The Ark within Our sight
And under Our guidance: then
When comes Our command,
And the fountains of the earth
Gush forth, take thou on board
Pairs of every species, male
And female, and thy family—
Except those of them
Against whom the Word
Has already gone forth:
And address Me not
In favour of the wrong-doers;
For they shall be drowned
(In the Flood).

28. And when thou hast embarked
On the Ark—thou and those
With thee,—say: "Praise be
To God, Who has saved us
From the people who do wrong."

29. And say: "O my Lord!
Enable me to disembark
With Thy blessing: for Thou
Art the Best to enable (us)
To disembark."

30. Verily in this there are
Signs (for men to understand);
(Thus) do We try (men)."

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31. Then We raised after them
Another generation.

32. And We sent to them
An apostle from among themselves,
(Saying), "Worship God!
Ye have no other god
But Him. Will ye not
Fear (Him)?"

SECTION 3.

33. And the chiefs
Of his people, who disbelieved
And denied the Meeting
In the Hereafter, and on whom
We had bestowed the good things
Of this life, said: "He is
No more than a man
Like yourselves: he eats
Of that of which ye eat,
And drinks of what ye drink.

34. "If ye obey a man
Like yourselves, behold,
It is certain ye will be lost.

35. "Does he promise that
When ye die and become dust
And bones, ye shall be
Brought forth (again)?

36. "Far, very far is that
Which ye are promised!

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37. "There is nothing but
Our life in this world!
We shall die and we live!
But we shall never
Be raised up again!

38. "He is only a man
Who invents a lie
Against God, but we
Are not the ones
To believe in him!"

39. (The prophet) said:
"O my Lord! help me:
For that they accuse me
Of falsehood."

40. (God) said: "In but
A little while, they
Are sure to be sorry!"

41. Then the Blast overtook them
With justice, and We made them
As rubbish of dead leaves
(Floating on the stream of Time)!
So away with the people
Who do wrong!

42. Then We raised after them
Other generations.

43. No people can hasten
Their term, nor can they
Delay (it).

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44. Then sent We Our apostles
In succession: every time
There came to a people
Their apostle, they accused him
Of falsehood: so We made
Them follow each other
(In punishment): We made them
As a tale (that is told):
So away with a people
That will not believe!

45. When We sent Moses
And his brother Aaron,
With Our Signs and
Authority manifest,

46. To Pharaoh and his Chiefs:
But these behaved insolently:
They were an arrogant people.

47. They said: "Shall we believe
In two men like ourselves?
And their people are subject
To us!"

48. So they accused them
Of falsehood, and they became
Of those who were destroyed.

49. And We gave Moses
The Book, in order that
They might receive guidance.

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50. And We made
The son of Mary
And his mother
As a Sign:
We gave them both
Shelter on high ground,
Affording rest and security
And furnished with springs.

SECTION 4.

51. O ye apostles! enjoy
(All) things good and pure,
And work righteousness:
For I am well-acquainted
With (all) that ye do.

52. And verily this Brotherhood
Of yours is a single Brotherhood,
And I am your Lord
And Cherisher: therefore
Fear Me (and no other).

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53. But people have cut off
Their affair (of unity),
Between them, into sects:
Each party rejoices in that
Which is with itself.

54. But leave them
In their confused ignorance
For a time.

55. Do they think that because
We have granted them abundance
Of wealth and sons,

56. We would hasten them
On in every good? Nay,
They do not understand.

57. Verily those who live
In awe for fear of their Lord;

58. Those who believe
In the Signs of their Lord;

59. Those who join not (in worship)
Partners with their Lord;

60. And those who dispense
Their charity with their hearts
Full of fear, because
They will return to their Lord;—

61. It is these who hasten
In every good work,
And these who are
Foremost in them.

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62. On no soul do We
Place a burden greater
Than it can bear:
Before Us is a record
Which clearly shows the truth:
They will never be wronged.

63. But their hearts are
In confused ignorance
Of this; and there are,
Besides that, deeds of theirs,
Which they will (continue)
To do,—

64. Until, when We seize
In Punishment those of them
Who received the good things
Of this world, behold,
They will groan in supplication!

65. (It will be said):
"Groan not in supplication
This day; for ye shall
Certainly not be helped by Us.

66. "My Signs used to be
Rehearsed to you, but ye
Used to turn back
On your heels—

67. "In arrogance: talking nonsense
About the (Qur-ān), like one
Telling fables by night."

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68. Do they not ponder over
The Word (of God), or
Has anything (new) come
To them that did not
Come to their fathers of old?

69. Or do they not recognise
Their Apostle, that they
Deny him?

70. Or do they say, "he is
Possessed"? Nay, he has
Brought them the Truth,
But most of them
Hate the Truth.

71. If the Truth had been
In accord with their desires,
Truly the heavens and the earth,
And all beings therein
Would have been in confusion
And corruption! Nay, We
Have sent them their admonition,
But they turn away
From their admonition.

72. Or is it that thou
Askest them for some
Recompense? But the recompense
Of thy Lord is best:
He is the Best of those
Who give sustenance.

73. But verily thou callest them
To the Straight Way;

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74. And verily those who
Believe not in the Hereafter
Are deviating from that Way.

75. If We had mercy on them
And removed the distress
Which is on them, they
Would obstinately persist
In their transgression,
Wandering in distraction
To and fro.

76. We inflicted Punishment
On them, but they
Humbled not themselves
To their Lord, nor do they
Submissively entreat (Him)!—

77. Until We open on them
A gate leading to
A severe Punishment: then
Lo! they will be plunged
In despair therein!

SECTION 5.

78. It is He Who has created
For you (the faculties of)
Hearing, sight, feeling
And understanding: little thanks
It is ye give!

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79. And He Has multiplied you
Through the earth, and to Him
Shall ye be gathered back.

80. It is He Who gives
Life and death, and to Him
(Is due) the alternation
Of Night and Day:
Will ye not then understand?

81. On the contrary they say
Things similar to what
The ancients said.

82. They say: "What! When we
Die and become dust and bones,
Could we really be
Raised up again?

83. "Such things have been promised
To us and to our fathers
Before! They are nothing
But tales of the ancients!"

84. Say: "To whom belong
The earth and all beings therein?
(Say) if ye know!"

85. They will say, "To God!"
Say: "Yet will ye not
Receive admonition?"

86. Say: "Who is the Lord
Of the seven heavens,
And the Lord of the Throne
(Of Glory) Supreme?"

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87. They will say, "(They belong)
To God." Say: "Will ye not
Then be filled with awe?"

88. Say: "Who is it in whose
Hands is the governance
Of all things,—who protects
(All), but is not protected
(Of any)? (Say) if ye know."

89. They will say, "(It belongs)
To God." Say: "Then how
Are ye deluded?"

90. We have sent them the Truth:
But they indeed practise Falsehood!

91. No son did God beget,
Nor is there any god
Along with Him: (if there were
Many gods), behold, each god
Would have taken away
What he had created,
And some would have
Lorded it over others!
Glory to God! (He is free)
From the (sort of) things
They attribute to Him!

92. He knows what is hidden
And what is open: too high
Is He for the partners
They attribute to Him!

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SECTION 6.

93. Say: "O my Lord!
If Thou wilt show me
(In my lifetime) that which
They are warned against,—

94. "Then, O my Lord! put me not
Amongst the people
Who do wrong!"

95. And We are certainly able
To show thee (in fulfilment)
That against which they are warned.

96. Repel evil with that'
Which is best: We are
Well acquainted with
The things they say.

97. And say "O my Lord!
I seek refuge with Thee

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From the suggestions
Of the Evil Ones.

98. "And I seek refuge with Thee
O my Lord! lest they
Should come near me."

99. (In Falsehood will they be)
Until, when death comes
To one of them, he says:
"O my Lord! send me back
(To life),—

100. "In order that I may
Work righteousness in the things
I neglected."—"By no means!
It is but a word he says."—
Before them is a Partition
Till the Day they are
Raised up.

101. When the Trumpet
Is blown, there will be
No more relationships
Between them that day,
Nor will one ask after another!

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102. Then those whose balance
(Of good deeds) is heavy,—
They will attain salvation:

103. But those whose balance
Is light, will be those
Who have lost their souls;
In Hell will they abide.

104. The Fire will burn their faces,
And they will therein
Grin, with their lips displaced.

105. "Were not My Signs rehearsed
To you, and ye did but
Treat them as falsehoods?"

106. They will say: "Our Lord!
Our misfortune overwhelmed us,
And we became a people
Astray!

107. "Our Lord! Bring us out
Of this: if ever we return
(To evil), then shall we be
Wrong-doers indeed!"

108. He will say: "Be ye
Driven into it (with ignominy)!
And speak ye not to Me!

109. "A part of My servants
There was, who used to pray,

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'Our Lord! we believe;
Then do Thou forgive us,
And have mercy upon us:
For Thou art the Best
Of those who show mercy!'

110. "But ye treated them
With ridicule, so much so
That (ridicule of) them made you
Forget My Message while
Ye were laughing at them!

111. "I have rewarded them
This day for their patience
And constancy: they are indeed
The ones that have achieved Bliss:.."

112. He will say: "What number
Of years did ye stay
On earth?"

113. They will say: "We stayed
A day or part of a day:
But ask those who
Keep account."

114. He will say: "Ye stayed
Not but a little,—
If ye had only known!

115. "Did ye then think
That We had created you

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In jest, and that ye
Would not be brought back
To Us (for account)?"

116. Therefore exalted be God,
The King, the Reality:
There is no god but He,
The Lord of the Throne
Of Honour!

117. If anyone invokes, besides God,
Any other god, he has
No authority therefor;
And his reckoning will be
Only with his Lord!
And verily the Unbelievers
Will fail to win through

118. So say: "O my Lord!
Grant Thou forgiveness and mercy!
For Thou art the Best
Of those who show mercy!"